Sergey Taboritsky

Sergey Taboritsky (born August 2, 1897) is a Russian monarchist politician who leads the Society for the Restoration of the Russian Empire, a fringe group associated with the far-right Passionarity coalition in Komi. Entering Russia as part of Vladimir’s expedition, he has developed a rabid loyalty to the Romanovs, believing that the Tsarevich Alexei had survived the revolution and accused Vladimir of being a pretender. After being exiled from Vyatka, he now remains in Komi to continue spreading his ideas.

Biography

Early-life

Sergey was born in August 2, 1897 as the illegitimate child of a baptized Jewess, a dressmaker and the owner of a fashion store Anna Vladimirovna. Sergey and his brother, Nikolai, unsuccessfully appealed to the Petrograd spiritual consistory with a request to recognize them as children of a "Russian Orthodox person" and to save them from the "Cain mark," citing religious and monarchist feelings. His feelings about the "Cain" and shame of being born to a Jew would follow him even into his late age. When the Russian monarchy was overthrown in 1917, he was in a Kiev prison where he met with a monarchist named Pyotr Nikiforovich Popov.

Political career

As leader of the OVRI, the Society for the Restoration of the Russian Empire, he calls for the restoration of Tsarevich Alexey Nikolayevich, who died in 1917, to the Russian throne. Taboritsky considers Vladimir III, the last known claimant to the Russian throne, to be an imposter. In the meantime, Taboritsky would act as Alexei's regent until his return. As regent, Taboritsky hopes to purge Russia of its filth and establish a Holy Russian Empire for the "true" successor, Alexei Romanov. Many within Komi's government see Taboritsky and his following as a laughing stock that would never come close to attaining power.

Involvement

Taboritsky's coup

Despite Taboritsky starting out as a very minor player in Komi politics, he can build his influence up until he takes control. If the player attempts to gain Taboritsky through coups, his band of Shturmoviki ("stormtroopers") will begin his regency of terror. In Komi, there are three unwritten rules; (1) no killing the leaders of the many factions, for the good of the Republic, (2) prevent unnecessary death and aid the injured if you can spare it, and (3) do not interfere with the lives of civilians. These rules are immediately ignored for the Regent who orders the elimination of all political opposition. No death is too costly for the True Emperor.

If Taboritsky does not take control, and is defeated, what happens to him depends on who defeated him, and how he is defeated.

• If Igor Shafarevich and Ivan Serov form a coalition to defeat Taboritksy and Lev Gumilyov after the Passionariyy secures Komi, Taboritsky will surprisingly take his defeat gracefully, having a brief breakdown. After recovering, he will acknowledge he may have been wrong (or at least, was not worthy) and merely ask that Serov and Shafarevich follow "the will of the skein" and leave. This leaves everyone but a few of Taboritsky's supporters speechless.
• If he is forced to flee Komi due to either the Komi center or left-wing taking control, he will attempt to travel south to the Aryan Brotherhood.
• If he is killed by either the Komi center or left-wing, he will immolate himself in a small chapel, rather than allow himself to be executed.
• If he is imprisoned by the Komi center or left-wing, as opposed to be killed or exiled, Taboritsky will be visited by a vision of Alexei and Saint Stephen in his cell, and is comforted by them.

Victory in the National Assembly

Once the Passionariyy takes control of Komi, an election can be held to decide which faction leader of the Passionariyy will control the fate of the country. In the meantime, the player can boost Taboritsky's monarchist faction in the hopes of the monarchists winning this election. Once the National Assembly casts its votes and announces its winners, Taboritsky will drum his fingers on the table. Could he win? What would he do if he lost? Then in the peak of the suspense, a man walks up to the podium and declares Taboritsky the winner of the election. The entire room is shocked and in utter disbelief. A group of men shout unintelligibly about a rigged vote. Some begin shaking, searching for the traitors who could have voted for Taboritsky, others immediately begin a beeline for the exit door. Some attempt to rush Taboritsky's men, but are stopped by police. In the midst of this, Taboritsky's smile spreads across his face.

He is initially classified as a Clerical Fascist, until revealing his true colours as an Imperial Cultist after unifying West Russia, through an event known as "Ebon Dawn". Taboritsky cannot peacefully unify with any nation at either the regional or super-regional stages. Additionally, if he is not able to conquer whatever nation is left to face him at the super-regional stage quickly enough, he is likely to fail, as his forces will be hit with the massive "Silent Regent" debuff. A Taboritsky unification of Russia is arguably the worst outcome for the nation (even more so than the Siberian Black League or Hyperborea), due to it utterly killing off the nation. Even more horrifying is the unification theme that plays when the Holy Russian Empire is victorious. Unlike the Aryan Brotherhood's theme, Hyperborea's, Omsk's, or even Konstantin Rodzaevsky's, the aptly-named "Verify Your Clock" features discordant piano keys, a singular, shrill whistle, and "psycho" strings.

At the super-regional stage, his Holy Russian Empire has the unique option to invade and core Kazakhstan before (or while) invading Siberia. This opens up a new flank on Siberia and provide him with resources and extra manpower to bolster his army. Should the Siberian unifier defeat him later on, they could then core the Kazakh territories as well.

Post-Midnight

After Taboritsky's death, his colleagues are horrified by the revelation that his mother was a Jew. Just as they had successfully covered up the news of his initial death, they tried to hide this fact from the general populace by burning his body. In the end, this only delayed the inevitable and the new government under the self-proclaimed successor Viktor Larionov is unable to keep the nation unified. The Holy Russian Empire thereafter collapses into a second warlord era.

Among these warlords, three are Nazis: the Regency of Holy Russia led by the megalomaniac Andrey Dikiy, the Ural Purification Zone led by former Shturmoviki members who want to continue their mission of purification and live in denial of Taboritsky's Jewish heritage, and the Holy Russian Empire proper which has become an anarchic wasteland loosely governed by Larionov. Two other remnants of the Holy Russian Empire exist, led by Nikolay Talberg and Ivan Melkikh.

Every post-Midnight warlord state starts with the crippling "Salted Earth" national spirit, and thus the nation can never be reunited after Taboritsky's reign. However, while Russia's story may have ended, her people's have not.

Quote upon unification

"Fiat iustitia, et pereat mundus (Let justice be done, though the world perish)."

—Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor